Meet Kristi Overton Johnson
As a professional water skier for over 20 years and the World Record Holder in women’s slalom from 1992-2010, KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON has taken to the waters of the world with passion, perseverance and a desire to impact the world of water skiing. Currently, this wife and mother of three spends her time using her passions and her gifts to encourage people to run the course of life victoriously. Through Kristi’s unique speaking, singing, and writing ministry, she is sure to encourage you to run the race of life with perseverance and passion so that you can experience all that Christ has planned for you!
PERSONAL
Kristi has been married to best friend Tim Johnson since 1994. Kristi and Tim met while attending the University of Central Florida. After marriage, they moved to north Florida where they attended the University of Florida College of Law. Upon receiving their juris doctorate of law they earned their license to practice law in the state of Florida. Tim and Kristi have three children, the youngest of which were both adopted from Russia in 2004. They reside in North Florida where they raise their family and minister to the community.
ON THE WATER
Kristi began her competitive water ski career at the age of 5. She captured state, regional and national records before turning professional at the tender age of 13. For 15 years, Kristi dominated women’s slalom, accumulating 80 professional wins and capturing more number one world rankings than any other female skier in history. She is an 8-time US Masters Champion, 4-time US Open Champion and held the world record in women’s slalom from 1992-2010. Kristi has traveled the world bringing home the gold and setting records as a World Champion, World Cup Champion, Pan American and US Pro Tour Champion, and winner of the British, French, Italian, Australian, and Austrian Masters.
MINISTRY
In 2003, Kristi founded In His Wakes, a nonprofit ministry that introduces people to the life changing power of Jesus Christ through water sports. The Lord is bringing healing and restoration to thousands of at-risk youth each year through this unique ministry. Kristi is active in the ministry activities.
In 2009, Kristi incorporated Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries, Inc. as a non-profit ministry. KOJM provides encouragement through REFRESH!, a faith-based writing, singing, and teaching ministry, through sports outreaches such as In His Wakes, and through its Champion’s Heart Life Centers. CHLC minister to north Florida residents through resource support, life coaching, support groups, life skill seminars, small group fellowships, and Bible studies.
AUTHOR AND SPEAKER
Kristi is the published author of Running the Course. She leads and writes in-depth Bible studies. She is a sought after faith-based speaker who has a unique ability to present God’s Word in an exciting way through analogies from her life experiences.
KRISTI’S PERSONAL TESTIMONY
I have never known a time where I didn’t know about Jesus Christ. I had the honor of growing up in a Christian home filled with encouragement and love. At the age of 8, I made a public profession of faith and followed in believer’s baptism. Just a few years before this important decision, my parents had introduced me to the sport of water skiing. Little did I know how my life and the lives of others would be affected by the amazing journey that would follow.
My father was a river rat. He loved skiing and showing off his talents. At the age of 4, my father shared his love of the sport with me. At that point, I became “Kristi, the skier,” an identity that would bring me much joy and much pain. I was raised to work hard, be honest, to treat others with respect whether they deserved it or not, and to be the best that I could be. From my first glide across the water, I implemented those qualities daily, pushing myself as I rose to the top of the sport, turning pro at age 13.
Although I made the daily decision to get off the ski dock and pour my life into being an incredible athlete, it wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I realized God was waiting for me to get off my spiritual dock, hook up to His life-changing power and go for an adventure of a lifetime. Spiritually, I was dead in the water. I was like the skier who was all dressed up in her gear, hooked up to the boat but afraid to say, ‘hit it!’
As I look back, there is one word that can sum up my staying sidelined spiritually…. FEAR. I was afraid of where God would take me, where He would send me, and what He’d asked me to give up. I was also desperately afraid of what others would think of me. Although I had trusted Him for my salvation when I was 8, my fear prevented me from trusting Him with my life.
There were two major turning points for me spiritually. The first was at the age of 24. I was at Word of Life Camp in New York speaking to 500 teenagers, encouraging them to use their God-given gifts for His glory. You see, that is all I knew. I knew God had sent His Son to die for me, and I knew that the ability to ski came from Him. As I looked over the faces of these youth, God began to prick my heart. He showed me that although I knew about Him, I didn’t know Him personally. How ironic. I went to tell these youth about Jesus and they introduced me to Him. When I returned to my cabin, I vowed to know Jesus more every day of my life. It is this goal that continues to push me spiritually and keeps me from growing stagnant in my faith.
The second turning point was in 1997. I had just finished law school and was studying for the Florida Bar. I was competing heavily and traveling extensively internationally as the world record holder in women’s slalom. During all of this, my husband and I were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our son, Ty. Many of my friends had competed several months into their pregnancies; I planned to do the same. Little did I know, God had other plans.
It was the night before the US Open Water Ski Tournament which was being held at Lake Kristi, the private lake my father had built for me when I was 11 years old, my stomach was in severe pain, pain which I assumed was stress related. I fought the pain through the night but finally woke my husband to take me to the emergency room. Two days after entering the hospital, I found myself lying in a bed hooked up to morphine, watching interviews from the US Open event on television. I made my way to the bathroom, crouched down on the floor and tried to persuade my husband to sneak me out of the hospital and take me to the lake. I knew that if I could get to the lake, I could put the pain out of my mind and compete. To say I was out of control would be an understatement. Why the drama? Simple. For the first time since I was 4 years old, I could not perform; I could not be “Kristi, the Skier.” I was lost and afraid.
This experience was the beginning of an amazing spiritual journey. I don’t know whether God was trying to get my attention or Satan was trying to destroy me, as he knew how important skiing was to my identity. Either way, my time off the water and my identity crisis did one thing; it brought me closer to the Lord.
Over the next 8 years, I would go through tremendous physical trials as I underwent 10 major surgeries. During my time off the water I began seeking God’s face. I realized that everything that I had poured my life into could be gone in an instant. No longer was being a champion on the water my priority; rather, being a champion in God’s eyes became my goal. I started pouring my life into avenues that would have eternal value.
I remember vividly the call on my life to begin using my passion of water skiing for eternal purposes. I was driving to Jacksonville, Florida when the Lord impressed on my heart to write and print a tract to be distributed at professional water ski events. God gave me a clear vision of the “Making the Cut” testimonial booklet. Over the next three years, 60,000 booklets were distributed at water ski venues.
I watched in amazement as many came to know the Lord through the personal testimonies of professional water skiers and wake boarders contained in this booklet. I saw firsthand the amazing platform God had given me as a world record holder. Like Esther, I knew that God had placed me in the sport for ‘such a time as this.’
After the initial year of the tract ministry, God laid on my heart a vision for a water sports ministry called “In His Wakes.” I knew as a water skier that the safest place to be was in the center of the boat’s wakes. Likewise, the safest place for believers to be is in the center of God’s will, following Him wholeheartedly and willingly. In 2003, In His Wakes was formed as a nonprofit corporation. It is the ministry’s goal and my personal goal to encourage people to ‘get off the dock’ spiritually, hook up to the only Power Source that will never fail, and use their passions to impact the world around them!
The first two years of ministry were the most difficult years of my life. I was so eager to ‘do’ for God that I missed being with Him. I entered into a spiritual battle that I had never known existed. I found myself completely out of balance as I allowed ministry activities top priority over my roles as a mother and wife. It took my being sidelined again medically for me to realize that God’s vision for In His Wakes was more than what I could do or where I could be. As I stepped aside and gave God the controls, I watched in amazement as He assembled an amazing staff to carry out His plan and to support me.
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